John Bengel Commentary - Acts 1:7 - 1:7

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John Bengel Commentary - Acts 1:7 - 1:7


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Act 1:7. Οὐκ ὑμῶν ἐστιν, not for you is it) He does not say, “It is not for you;” but “not for you (not your part) is it;” in order that the emphasis may be on the ὑμῶν [Engl. Vers. loses this point]. Comp. by all means Joh 4:38, οὐχ ὑμεῖς,-ἄλλοι, not ye-others have; and “not unto thee (it appertained), but to the priests,” 2Ch 26:18; and οὐχ ἡμῖν καὶ ὑμῖν, “Not to us and to you belongeth the office of building,” etc., Ezr 4:3. It is a kindly repulse, and an impressive description of the Divine Reserve; and yet its aim is not to censure but to teach. He does not say, It is not part of your right and office to ask; but He says, Not yours is it to know. The Father has not ordered that this should he in your power, but has reserved it to His own power, that He should Himself know and do. Comp. Mat 24:36, “Of that day and hour knoweth no man; no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Not yours is it, saith He; from which it is not a legitimate inference, that it will not be the privilege even of others hereafter. The Revelation of the Divine economy has its successive steps: 1Pe 1:12, “Unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves, but unto us, they did minister the things which are now reported,” etc.; Mat 11:11; Rev 1:1.-χρόνους ἢ καιροὺς, the intervals (periods) or times [“the times or the seasons”]) The question of the disciples is corrected, and the general term, χρόνῳ, “at this interval” (period), is determined by another term being added, χρόνους ἢ καιροὺς, the intervals (periods) or times, as we have elsewhere shown. Let it be generally observed in this place, that something longer is meant by χρόνον than by καιρόν: ch. Act 7:17; Act 7:20, “As the time (ὁ χρόνος) of the promise drew nigh,” “In which season (καιρῷ) Moses was born.” Justus Jonas writes, “It is enough that you know from the Scriptures that it is about to come to pass that all things shall be restored; but when this is about to be, belongs to GOD.”-οὓς, which) To pry into the times reserved to GOD, is the part of mere curiosity: not to concern one’s self about what has been revealed, is the part of a petty or a drowsy mind: Dan 9:2; 1Pe 1:11, “Searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify;” Rev 13:18. The things which did not as yet belong to the apostles to know, were afterwards signified by the Apocalypse. The more general enunciation of truths does not derogate from the special revelation which follows subsequently. Peter also has it said to him in this place, Thine it is not, altogether as in Joh 21:22-23, What is that to thee?-ὁ Πατὴρ, the Father) Mat 20:23, “To sit on My right hand is not Mine to give, but-to them for whom it is prepared of My Father;” Mat 24:36.-ἔθετο, hath put) Therefore the thing itself is sure: otherwise there would be no time of the thing.-ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ, in His own power) At the time of the farther revelation, and especially of the actual fulfilment, even those things which heretofore had rested in the Father’s power, are known.